I'm a knitter by nature, crochet somehow escapes me for the most part. I can do it but... I have probably the silliest question in the world but I have to ask:

If the pattern says ch 26, does the loop you start with in the beginning count as one or zero? In other words, do I start with, "...two, three..." when counting the actual hooking or, "one, two, three..." etc.?

Not knowing things like this is why I knit,

but, I'm going to make a toilet seat and tank top cover and I cannot find any such pattern for knitting but one, and it isn't really pretty. I'd love to crochet this kind, or the other crochet ones I've seen in the old time crochet books online everywhere, with roses etc in/on them, but ... that's like wanting to fly to the moon at this point in my needlework journey. I've found a simple enough one for my level of inexperience... I hope!

Thanks for the answer in advance... I'm sure you're all just dying to say...

"If the pattern says ch 26, does the loop you start with in the beginning count as one or zero?"

Do you mean your slip knot you have on the hook to start chaining? No, it does not count. One will be the first loop you make after that. I cheat. I make extra chains in case I miscounted (counting sts is much easier than counting chains) and then undo the extras. Better yet at least for me, whenever possible I would use Single Crochet Chain aka Foundation Single Crochet

"Not knowing things like this is why I knit, " I find it's easier to follow a knitting pattern than a crochet pattern. With some crochet patterns I've worked I have problems with getting the last sts at the end of a row right and want to turn before the row is finished. I don't know why. Sometimes learning to fudge a bit, as with the number of chains, helps. Having extra chains is much better than being a few or even one short when you need a really long chain (say 100+) to start.

__________________~ GG
Happiness is catching that dropped stitch while it's still fixable..

The Following User Says Thank You to GrumpyGramma For This Useful Post:

Ahhh... so that's a foundation sc... I always thought that was what my mom called a half-double crochet. I looked for videos on that but couldn't find it. I'm not adept at wording things simply. Ask anyone, lol. Just last night dh said, "You take 100 words to say something that can be said in 5." So, I asked him how and for the life of me, I can't remember what he said. Must be my mind was off in the ether again... actually, I was concentrating on how and what stitch I would use to make... play trumpets now---

Bath towels. Yep. Bath towels. They are getting way too expensive for decent quality so I've decided to make all my own towels and washcloths, dishcloths, etc.

One of my dreams ... one of the miracles I want to perform before I leave this planet for good is make a beautiful lace tablecloth. My mom made one and it's just a joy to behold.

Anyway, yes, the slip knot is what I'm talking about. I'm following the patt best as I can but am not sure about how I'm doing, lol. I just learned to make the loop stitch today... it was like grinding rocks in my head, lol. I now have a row of 9 loops, ranging in size from 1/2 " to 1 1/2". My first loop row. I'm going to save it. It looks horrible, lol. But I got 'er done!

When going around and around, how do you keep track of what row you're on?! I get so lost making doilies and that's just my creations of messes that look like drunk spiderwebs.

I find it's easier to follow a knitting pattern than a crochet pattern. With some crochet patterns I've worked I have problems with getting the last sts at the end of a row right and want to turn before the row is finished. I don't know why. Sometimes learning to fudge a bit, as with the number of chains, helps. Having extra chains is much better than being a few or even one short when you need a really long chain (say 100+) to start.

I have trouble with simple things like, "sc in second ch from first ch." Now my brain goes, 'Which one is the first one? the first one that I chained from the beginning or the first one from the crochet hook part going the other way?' I figure if it wants next to the first one I chained, then it would make a circle and they'd say 'join' or something and start talking about rnds, right? But that takes some getting to, from the first time I read that.

As if I wasn't already confused. *laughing* Thanks... I don't know either. I wonder if it's the old fashioned way of saying something else, like the tights/leotards conundrum. What do they call treble crochet in UK?

My sister said something to me about a crochet and a half. I had no idea what she was talking about. She showed me what she was doing, it was a hdc. Her DIL learned to crochet from her grandmother and found out recently that what she called a sc is something else, thought I've no idea what, maybe a hdc or maybe a British sc. Working patterns with either of them is something I'd not even try, my NIL did say she'd always wondered why patterns didn't work out for her.

You never count the loop on your hook as in, sc in second chain from hook, you'd count the first one not on the hook as one, then sc in the next.

Rounds. When you're working rounds, look up a video! Or ask if you can't find one. Someone can probably provide a link.

If you're serious about really learning to crochet and work with patterns, I think bethintx1 on youtube has some videos about that, mikeysmail might (he irks me, he said something like, I do this because I'm a professional about something and that really got to me) and he doesn't/didn't know what a ripple afghan is (maybe ripple is a U.S. term and since he's in Canada....), and calls his yarn string (I know, I know, I'm nitpicking) but he's good and lots of people like him. There are lots of others too.

When you work rounds that are joined, it's easier to tell when you reach the end of the round than when working spiral, marking the stitch helps.

"I'd hate to think crocheters are smarter than we are..." Perish the thought! Some people read knit and crochet equally well and are adept at both. What'ca think about them?

__________________~ GG
Happiness is catching that dropped stitch while it's still fixable..

Here are three videos by Teresa on the single, half double, and double crochet foundation stitches. This gives your work a more flexible edge. It also saves time by doing the chain and first crochet row in one step.